Kolkata, September 2: The Kolkata High Court has granted interim bail to CPI(M) leader Mohammad Lahek Ali. This decision was made by a single-judge bench on Wednesday. Ali was arrested in July by the West Bengal Police’s STF in connection with violence that erupted following the rape and murder of a girl in BarUIPur, South 24 Parganas.
On Wednesday, Justice Tirthankar Ghosh’s bench provided Ali with interim bail until September 10. However, the court imposed a condition that he must remain outside the area of BarUIPur where his residence is located.
The bench also instructed Ali to fully cooperate with the police investigation during the interim period. Ali had previously filed a bail petition citing the deteriorating health of his elderly mother as a reason for his release. After a brief hearing on Wednesday afternoon, the court granted him conditional interim bail until September 10.
Tension had escalated in BarUIPur in July following the rape and murder of a minor girl. Local residents protested vigorously, leading to the lynching of a young man suspected of involvement in the crime. It was later revealed that he was innocent.
Ali, a member of the CPI(M) South 24 Parganas district committee, has been accused by the police of inciting people to take the law into their own hands and being one of the main conspirators in the unrest. A total of 26 cases have been registered against him.
He was arrested from his residence on the night of July 12. However, the CPI(M) leadership has claimed that his arrest is a result of political vendetta.
Following the discovery of the minor’s body on July 5, unrest erupted in the Suryapur area of BarUIPur. Since the incident, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has visited BarUIPur twice. He has warned of strict action against those responsible for inciting violence during the protests and has called for severe punishment for the perpetrators. Several arrests have already been made in connection with the unrest.
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